Mocco, Hogan Lead Wrestling at Franklin and Marshall Open

Juniors Michael Mocco and Patrick Hogan led the Harvard wrestling team as it concluded the tournament portion of its regular season schedule on Saturday at the Franklin and Marshall Open in Lancaster, Pa. The tournament was the team’s fifth of the season and served as the Crimson’s final tune-up before the head-to-head dual action that makes up the majority of the team’s schedule.

In the 184-pound category, Mocco finished third, winning six consecutive matches following his loss to Pitt-Johnstown senior Travis McKillop, the eventual champion. Mocco lost 8-1 in the opening match, won his next five, and then defeated Navy junior Ryan Harman 3-1 in the third place match to earn bronze. This was the first time that Mocco has placed in the top-four this season.

Hogan also placed for Harvard by finishing fourth in the 149-pound category. Mocco and Hogan became the fifth and sixth Crimson wrestlers to place this season, joining junior co-captais Todd Preston and James Fox, junior Josh Popple, and senior David Ng.

Popple was the only of those four who participated on Saturday, winning his first 197-pound category match over Brown junior Augustus Marker, 7-3, before falling to Bucknell sophomore Tyler Greene, 8-7, in the round of sixteen.

Two other Harvard wrestlers reached the quarterfinals in their respective weight categories, with senior Ryan Osleeb in the 133-pound class and freshman Tyler Tarsi in the 157-pound one.

Fifteen Crimson wrestlers participated in the tournament, which featured 400 wrestlers and 35 teams from the East Coast and Midwest. The match was a homecoming of sorts for two Harvard wrestlers as Popple and Tarsi both hail from the Keystone State.

Among other finishes, Sophomore Colby Knight and junior Nick Stanger each won their first two matches in the 149-pound category before bowing out in the round of sixteen.

Sophomore Henry Cousins and senior Greg Kristof each won their first match in the 157-pound category while freshman Spencer Kiehm won his first match in the 165-pound class.

—Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at sgleason@college.harvard.edu.